Just What He Needed
by Sonata Rapp
Summary: Roger's dying, just like Angel, Mimi, and Collins before him. Maureen's the only one who's left by his side. Roger just needs one thing so he can die happily. Will it come in time?


I looked over at Roger, he had been growing paler by the day and it was unnerving me. So I did what I always do when I'm unnerved. "You know you're starting to look like Mark, right?" I joked.

Roger just looked at me. "What do you mean? I'm way hotter than Mark." He was still so vain. Even in his last days.

"Yeah but the two of you are starting to match in complexion Pookie." I retorted. "A little sun wouldn't kill either of you."

"Um Mo sweetie." Roger said gently. "You do realize that I have an actual reason to be this color. You know it's that whole AIDS thing. Mark on the other hand was born with an absence of pigment." He looked out the window and got that faraway look in his eyes that meant he could only be thinking of one thing. "I suppose Mark gets a lot of sun these days."

We fell silent again and Roger sighed. I knew that this was not how he wanted to spend the last few weeks he had to live. He hated hospitals and this was exactly the same way Angel, Mimi, and Collins had spent their last days. He wanted to be outside or on a stage playing his heart out for people. Making a name for himself, and redeeming what was left of his life. I wished to God that I could do something to help.

"Maureen." His voice was soft and a little timid, which was surprising. "Why are you here?"

"As opposed to being where?" I asked.

"I don't know, out living your life or something. That's what everybody else is doing."

I sighed. He was right. Joanne had become a partner in a major law firm and we had gone our separate ways. Mark had been gone for years. When Roger started to show that his disease was slowly killing him, Mark had bolted and headed to Santa Fe. Benny came occasionally but I was there, by his side every single day and some nights as well.

"I love you Roger." I answered simply. "You know it's funny. If someone had asked who would be the two who would be still living together in the end I would not have thought it would be the two of us."

Roger barked out a laugh which quickly turned into a cough. He waved me away as I hurried to get him some water. "I'm okay." He said hoarsely. "It's just that I always wondered what would happen if we ended up being the only ones left. Of course Mark was always supposed to be here too…" he trailed off and I noticed that his eyes were fluttering in a weak attempt to stay awake.

"Go to sleep Rog." I said. "I'll be here when you wake up."

He smiled a little and leaned back against the pillows. "It's not you I worry about being here." He whispered and drifted off to sleep.

I knew who he wanted and it was then I made up in my mind to do something about it. Not that I knew how. Suddenly I caught sight of a familiar blonde head walking toward the loft. My eyes widened and I quietly hurried out of the hospital and down the street. By the time I got to the building, Mark was already up the stairs and had opened the door to the loft. I quietly walked up behind him and watched as he took in the room. It looked much the same, only minus all of his film junk and plus all of my crazy girly stuff.

"So he's still…?" Mark asked quietly.

"Yeah, but just barely." I answered. "He wants you. He needs you."

"I know." He replied. "That's why I came back." Together we walked back to the hospital and looked in on Roger. Mark gasped. "He looks so pale."

Roger's eyes opened and he took in the sight of his best friend. "Oh so now you come." He said with as much malice as a sick person can muster. "Well you can just go right back to where you-" He was cut off by Mark striding purposefully across the room and covering Roger's mouth with his own.

With tears in both, blue eyes search green ones and vice versa. "You came back." Roger whispered.

"Of course I did." Mark answered. "I love you, you goof."

Roger sighed. "I can die happy now." And that's exactly what he did.


End file.
